How To Draw A Face Shape
Drawing a face can be daunting, but with practice and a few tricks up your sleeve, you can create lifelike portraits of the human face. To begin with, you must understand the basics of the structure of the face. The shape of the face tells us a lot about a person, their age, and even their emotional state. Follow these easy steps to learn how to draw a face shape – quickly and effectively.
Step 1: Identify the Different Shapes
The key to drawing a realistic face shape lies in understanding how to identify the shapes that make up the human face. Every face shape is made up of several vital shapes that come together to create a unique form. Recognizing and mastering how to represent them correctly can be the difference between a realistic portrait and a cartoonish figure. Look for a circle, triangle, diamond, and square.*These are fundamental shapes that can help you with basic face sculpting and capturing the overall look of a face.
Step 2: Map Out the Foundation
Once you’ve identified the shapes, it’s time to map out the foundation of your face. Start by sketching the circles, triangles, diamonds and squares lightly on your sheet of paper. These shapes will help you position the features of the face the correct distance from each other and keep them in the correct proportions. Be sure to draw lightly to prevent the need for extensive erasing.
Step 3: Add Lines and Shading
After mapping out the foundation of the face, it’s time to add the facial features. Start by drawing the eyes and nose in their proper places as well as a line indicating the mouth. Add shading to help make the face appear more realistic, which can be achieved by blending pencil strokes in the direction of the face’s natural relief. In order to give the illusion of depth, draw the eyes behind the brow bone and the nose in front. The eyebrows should be drawn according to the face shape – curved for round faces, straight for square faces, and so on.
Step 4: Add Movement and Facial Structure
By this point, you’re well on your way to creating a realistic face. Now it’s time to make your drawing come alive. Add texture to the skin to give it a more three-dimensional feel. Shading helps to create a sense of movement, such as the subtle shadows on the cheeks and neck that are caused by the way light hits the face. You can also add shadows along the jawline and forehead, as well as the sides of the face, to help bring out the facial structure.
Step 5: Refine and Refine Again
The last step in learning how to draw a face shape is simply refining your drawing. Look for areas that need to be erased or darkened, and keep working until you are satisfied with the result. Nobody’s drawing is perfect the first time, so don’t be discouraged if it takes multiple attempts to get the face shape correct. Think of this process as a trial and error session to build your confidence as an artist.
Step 6: Practice and Don’t Give Up
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at the beginning, since drawing a face shape is an intricate process that requires a lot of patience and skill. All it takes to get better is practice. As long as you focus on learning the basics and perfecting the techniques, your drawing skills will improve. Dedicate as much time as you can to practicing, and if you ever get stuck, take a break and come back with a fresh perspective. With enough dedication and effort, you will be able to draw realistic faces with ease!
